Water damage! Those two words often send shivers down every homeowner's back, and with good reason. Damage inflicted by water encourages mold growth, detrimental to your loved ones' well-being because it causes health issues and allergic reactions. Plus, if left to aggravate, this problem causes structural damages that cost a pretty penny to repair. Luckily, there are ways of preventing water damage and associated issues, one of the topmost involving gutter installation. Continue reading to learn more.
What are Gutters?
Gutters, otherwise called eaves troughs, are components installed by experts along your roof's eave edges. Most manufacturers make typical gutters using aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, or vinyl materials. A functional gutter system protects your building's roof from water damage and subsequent complications, including rot and deterioration in masonry, shingles, soffit, etc. It also prevents moisture from condensing in windows and keeps interior wall and sill damages at bay. Finally, quality gutters keep water away from your home's foundation, reduce soil erosion, and stave off basement flooding.
Common Types of Gutters
Gutter specialists offer the following types of gutters:
1. Box Gutters
Box gutters have many other names, including parallel gutters and trough gutters. Experts install these components between two roofs, where they receive rainwater and then drain the water from the roof using downpipe nozzles. Quality box gutters, which, as the name suggests, are rectangular-shaped, are lined with asphalt, metal, or EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) rubber. The lining enhances structural integrity, making the gutters robust and durable. That is one of the reasons to install these components. Besides, box gutters are less susceptible to clogging and blockages, easy to clean, and decent-looking.
2. Half-Round Gutters
Half-round gutters look like tubes cut in half. That means they are U-shaped. Their design makes them ideal for older, rounded, historical structures and modern homes with less-angular features. These gutters also have smooth interior surfaces with fewer creases than other gutter systems. Therefore, they are more effective in discouraging rainwater collection in the water channels, contributing to corrosion and premature roof damage. The same quality allows debris to wash off these gutters easily. So, you can install a half-rounded gutter system on a roof containing heavily-textured materials like tile, which are highly likely to release particulate matter over time.
3. Sectional Gutters
If you want products that come in precut lengths, choose sectional gutters. Since these items contain several separate articles, specialists must join them using seamer pieces they attach with a gutter sealant during installation. That makes them unique from alternatives like seamless gutters consisting of single, continuous material pieces. Moreover, with proper installation, sectional gutters give your house a great look, all the more if it has rounded rooflines. Manufacturers also customize these gutters to suit your needs and preferences. That is something you won't find in most other alternative products.
For more information, contact a gutter company like Art's Custom Seamless Gutters Inc.